Wagner composed the Prelude to Act I during a train trip in March 1862, before beginning work on the rest of the opera. It introduces thematic material associated with the mastersingers and their apprentices. The opening music presents two broad, majestic themes that recur at the end of the opera, the first heard during the work’s celebratory final moments and the second accompanying the entrance of the mastersingers. A contrasting theme returns later during Walther’s prize song, music of great lyricism. The central section of the prelude introduces busy music for the mastersingers’ apprentices, which Wagner uses as the basis of a fugue, a polyphonic nod to the opera’s 16th-century setting. The composer then brings back the two opening themes for a peroration of rousing splendor.

— Notes by John Mangum, LA Philharmonic (www.laphil.com)

Written in 1830 to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the Augsburg Confession (and the resulting protestant reformation), this work was actually completed before Mendelssohn’s 3rd and 4th Symphonies. The composer was so disappointed with this work that he refused to have it published during his lifetime. Thankfully, he did not destroy the masterpiece and it was able to be published posthumously (earning the erroneous numerical designation of “5th Symphony”). The title of the work is derived not only from the original dedication, but also from the final movement which is based on Martin Luther’s famous Chorale “Ein Feste Burg ist Unser Gott”). 

Some of the highest grossing movies of all time, the Jurassic Park franchise created a vivid, fascinating, and sometimes frightening world from Michael Crichton’s groundbreaking 1990 novel. The fervor over the original installment in the story (1993’s Jurassic Park) reached a climax when the newest NBA expansion in Toronto announced that fans had chosen the name “Raptors” for their new team. 

Great filmmaking is paired with great music in this story, and the themes from Jurassic Park are often thought of as some of composer John Williams’ best work. They are simple but engaging, and have a noble sound that so aptly paints a musical portrait of the gigantic stars of the story.  

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